COLUMN-Hedge funds on hold in run up to OPEC meeting: Kemp

LONDON, June 25 (Reuters) - Hedge funds left their positions largely unchanged in the run up to last week’s meetings among oil ministers from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies.

Hedge funds and other money managers trimmed their combined net long position in the six most important futures and options contracts linked to petroleum for the ninth week in a row.

But the combined net long position was cut by just 14 million barrels in the week to June 19, the smallest weekly amount since the middle of April, taking the total reduction so far to 330 million barrels since April 17.

There were only very minor changes to positions in all crude and fuels contracts.